The BBC is considering new restrictions for its on-demand services as part of ongoing discussions about its future funding model.
Under the proposal, access to BBC iPlayer could be limited to British viewers who pay the TV licence fee, though the corporation has stressed that no immediate changes are planned.
In an all-staff call, the BBC’s chief customer officer Kerris Bright said locking down iPlayer could be an "opportunity" for the corporation.
Deadline reports she said: "iPlayer is the only service really that’s licensable where you could actually decide to put a gate in front of it, but the data today says that actually [there’s] not really the return on investment for doing that.
"The vast majority of evasion is not on iPlayer.
"The vast majority of people that are watching iPlayer are people that are paying their TV licence, and so to put a gate in front of iPlayer, the data today says that you actually would make it a very difficult experience for people that are paying for the licence."
BBC iPlayer change being considered for the future
Currently, iPlayer users are asked if they have a licence fee, but there is no verification process in place.
Ms Bright said the idea is not a “silver bullet” for increasing revenue, suggesting the costs may outweigh any financial benefit.
However, she said it could be reconsidered in the future as discussions continue about the BBC’s funding structure.
The corporation is currently in talks with the Government about renewing its charter, a process that is expected to influence its long-term funding model.
According to Deadline, 94%of people in the UK use BBC services each month, but less than 80% pay the annual licence fee.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has suggested the licence fee could be expanded to cover subscribers to other streaming services, such as Netflix, Disney+ and Prime Video.
She has also proposed introducing tiered pricing options based on the services used.
Recently, the BBC launched a public advertising campaign asking: "What has the BBC ever done for me?"
What are your thoughts on the BBC potentially closing iPlayer to those who don't pay the TV licence fee? Let us know in the comments.
